Friday, October 26, 2007

Today will be marked as a miserable day in our nation's history. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's pardon of former president Joseph Estrada, granted without need of a public admission of guilt, is a mockery of justice and an insult to all Filipinos. It is a reflection of the culture of transactional politics that has characterized GMA's regime, which has brought our country to a state of moral bankruptcy.

We ask every citizen to join us in mourning the death of justice in our country. Tie black ribbons to your vehicles and wear black every Friday starting today. Let us paint this nation's heart black, for that is its color at its core. Those in government who often claim respect for the rule of law and who are sworn to uphold it are the very ones who pervert it.

Let us also stop according our government officials – the President, Vice-President, Cabinet Secretaries, Senators, Congressmen, Governors, and Mayors allied with GMA, the honor they do not deserve. Ginagago na tayo. The least we can do is to STOP calling them "honorable", refuse to shake their hands, or stand up or clap for them at their public appearances.

Each one of us should ask our Governor, Mayor, and Congressman of whatever party affiliation, "Pumunta ka ba sa Malacanang?" and "Nakatanggap ka ba?" With the ease by which they offend our sensibilities and basic decency, they deserve no less than our ostracism.

To our OFWs who have kept our economy afloat with your sacrifice and hard-earned remittances, we ask that you express your outrage through emails that you are so good at sending out around the world. Please send messages of indignation to Philippine embassies and consulates in your host countries. Work to use your influence over your families to boot out corrupt officials in 2010. Help us express global outrage at the impunity with which an illegitimate president rules.

Sadly, the reason we are in this state of moral bankruptcy today is because we have been indirect accomplices in the past through our silence.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

I was lazily surfing the net, when suddenly I chanced on DXUP blog.... and I was perplexed that an article I wrote about Discourse Ethics and Democracy was discussed over radio waves. I cringed at the possibility of how the radio commentator attacked (or approached) my article. Funny thing, this was the radio program's topic last 21 May 2007 in a segment called "Kapayapaan."

And to top it all, DXUP is in Upi, Maguindanao and broadcasts on frequency 105.5 MHz and can be heard over some barangay of Upi and South Upi, and nearby municipality in Maguindanao & Shariff Kabunsuan province, some part of Lanao del Sur, & Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato province.

On behalf of Fr. Antonio S. Samson S.J., President of Ateneo de Davao University, we kindly invite you to participate in the upcoming “Bridges” events and dialogues with keynote speaker Professor Robert Alexander Mundell, the 1999 Nobel Laureate for Economics from Columbia University in New York.

Professor Mundell prepared the first plan for a common currency in Europe and is known as the father of the theory of optimum currency areas. He has established the foundation for the theory which dominates practical policy considerations of monetary and fiscal policy in open economies. His contributions to monetary dynamics constitute the core of teaching in international macroeconomics.

Professor Mundell will speak on “Economic development by fitting globalization into the national development strategy” on

November 16 at 2:30 pm at Ateneo de Davao University in Davao, further information and free tickets via phone (082) 227-8771, fax (082) 226-4116 or email jse@addu.edu.ph.

We hope you could join Professor Mundell’s events in November 2007 or any other upcoming “Bridges” events with Nobel Laureates for Economics, Peace, Physics, Chemistry and Medicine and with former World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn which will be continuously held in Ateneo de Davao University from November 2007 to April 2008. The detailed schedule of all “Bridges” events and further information is available a t the website www.peace-foundation.net.

We thank you for your kind attention and consideration and would be delighted to personally welcome you at some of the upcoming “Bridges” events in the forthcoming weeks.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Good news, the technical people just finished installing wifi access points in the campus.

BellarmineAP: it covers the gazebo, University Library, American Library and Wieman, Thibault, Canisius Halls facing the gazebo.

CanisiusAP: it covers the Canisius Hall and part of Finster Hall facing the covered courts. It reaches up to the covered court, Mitchel Hall, Chapel and Jesuit Residence.

As of the moment, these access points are open for public. Come second semester, students and faculty should register their wireless equipment with the Technical Services Office (6th Floor, Finster Hall).

COMING SOON: Food court access point and Law School library access point

Monday, October 22, 2007

I was simply amazed when my eldest son blurted out "Aguy, Lord!" as an expression of despair over a parent's stubborness or stupidity. Gropping for a possible response, I would simply mimic his "Aguy, Lord!" while making faces. Sometimes this out-of-blue expression makes me laughing agonizingly - its innocence, its profundity of the immense thing in the midst of the greater scheme of things, in the presence of the Lord.

I noticed that he would say this when I would not buy him a toy, or when I would not drive him to SM on a Sunday afternoon or when he would be amazed of something which could be done impossibly. And everytime I hear these two words while he looks down nodding his head horizontally, a smile grows in my face, but deep down it's a *lol.*

I was simply amazed when my eldest son blurted out "Aguy, Lord!" as an expression of despair over a parent's stubborness or stupidity. Gropping for a possible response, I would simply mimic his "Aguy, Lord!" while making faces. Sometimes this out-of-blue expression makes me laughing agonizingly - its innocence, its profundity of the immense thing in the midst of the greater scheme of things, in the presence of the Lord.

I noticed that he would say this when I would not buy him a toy, or when I would not drive him to SM on a Sunday afternoon or when he would be amazed of something which could be done impossibly. And everytime I hear these two words, a smile grows in my face.

I have been in Davao for almost fifteen years. Throughout those years I have attended several pre-baptism seminars run by either parochial vicars or parish catechists. As I have observed, attendees and would-be-godparents like myself are turned off by the way these seminars are conducted. These speakers think as if people who are attending are either dumb Catholics or simply dumb Christians.

The seminars become venue of "pangasaba" of self-righteous speakers (I have been to Redemptorist Church, Fatima Parish, Sta. Ana Parish, Obrero Parish). Where is the so called BEC spirit which is supposed to be the strength of the local Church of Davao? Is this the usual way parishioners are treated by their parish?

I think the local church of Davao needs to re-examine itself on how it runs these seminars, and parishioner formation program.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

By now, it's obvious to all that the impeachment complaint filed by Pulido is a sham, intended only to immunize GMA for a year from a more legitimate complaint.

Rep. Crispin Beltran and two other congressmen were bribed up to P2.0M by Kampi Deputy Secretary General Francis Ver just to endorse the complaint. Rep. Cuenca of Cebu and a few other congressmen under cover of anonymity admits having received P200 to P500T after a meeting of pro-admin solons in Malacanang where GMA gave the marching orders in connection with the impeachment, "Do the right thing." In a separate meeting at the Palace on the same day, governors and mayors were given brown envelopes containing similar amounts.

At first, palace officials denied the payoffs ever happened. But after Fr. Ed Panlilio – Governor of Pampanga, showed to media the envelope and the crisp bills of cash, they feigned ignorance, wondering like the rest of us whodunit. Amazing.

Amidst these brazen and unconscionable acts of corruption and outright lies, we see no outrage – not even a whimper, from people or organized groups.

I am no longer surprised. Jarius Bondoc wrote several articles on the anomalous ZTE deal as early as March. But nobody paid attention. It was only after he exposed the Abalos sexcapades that people took heed. Corruption alone, even on a grand scale, no longer bothers us. It needs a bit of sex, or perhaps murder, to scandalize people.

Our national conscience has been desensitized irreparably and we have lost the capacity for outrage. We have become an indifferent, if not a cynical people. And the few who are incensed by the unfolding events feel helpless, not knowing how or where to vent their anger.

Is there hope? It really depends on each one of us. By now, I hope, we must have realized that the impunity we see today is a direct consequence of our apathy and inaction in the past. If we sit idly by and do nothing, it will only get worse.

First, let's take stock of how we view things from a moral standpoint, before we even think of what we can and should do. I invite you to take the Morality Quotient Test (MQ test) below.

What is your reaction in each of the situation described below? (Choose one that approximates your attitude)

1. Fr. Ed Panlilio accepts the P500,000 given out after a meeting with GMA by mayors and governors at Malacanang. He said the money did not come from jueteng or from any illegal source, so he decided to accept it. He intends to use it for projects that will benefit his constituents. How do you feel about this?

a. It was naïve of him to accept it. Understandable. He is, after all, a rookie politician. But now that he knows more about the circumstances of the payoff, he should just return the money.

b. I agree with Fr. Ed. Nothing wrong with using "clean" money to help the poor folks of Pampanga.

c. Father Ed, welcome to the world of politics. You should get used to this kind of wheeling and dealing.

d. He should not have received it in the first place. But since he did, then he should shut up. He's only giving the opposition fodder for their destabilization efforts.

2. Rep. Cuenca admits in a radio interview that he received a P200T "Christmas gift" after the Malacanang meeting. Other congressmen present in the meeting denied there were "gifts" given out. Cuenca later recants and says it was just a joke. How could he receive a "Christmas gift" when it's not yet Christmas, he argues. Cong. Defensor says, even if it were true, there's nothing wrong with it. And Sec. Lito Atienza says, that it's really standard practice for the President to give her allies gifts of up to P200K after such meetings. It was so in the 9 years that he was mayor. How do you feel about this?

a. I am outraged not only by the brazenness of the payoff and how our elected officials are trivializing it, but also by the blatant lying. The mere fact that this happened in Malacanang should compel the President to resign.

b. This should be investigated by the proper agencies (PAGC or Ombudsman or even the Senate) to determine culpability, punish the guilty, and clear the names of Congressmen who did not receive any amount.

c. What else is new? As Atienza says, this has been going on for the longest time. No matter who the president is, this practice will continue.

d. Elected and appointed officials should be more circumspect in their public pronouncements. Reckless statements like these are tainting our image and might scare investors away.

3. Joey de Venecia vividly describes how the First Gentleman points a menacing finger to his face asking him to "Back Off!" The First Gentleman vehemently denies it and says he could not possibly have done it since he didn't know Joey personally. But he did advice Joey that he could be violating the law which prohibits relatives of the Speaker from entering into a transaction with government. Obviously, one or both of them are lying. What's your take?

a. I believe Joey. I can't imagine him having the audacity to invent such a fantastic story. The Senate should compel, if necessary, the First Gentleman to explain his side.

b. It's really Joey's word against the First Gentleman's. Let the investigation take its full course and let the people decide for themselves.

c. It doesn't really matter who's lying. They probably both are. As some senators have said, it's just a quarrel for kickbacks.

d. It's probably part of a PR demolition job against FG to discredit and embarrass the GMA government.

4. Palace officials and pro-admin senators are saying that the Senate ZTE hearings should now be terminated, having been rendered moot by the resignation of Comelec Chairman Abalos. The Senate should instead focus on legislating priority bills to alleviate the condition of our people. Besides, they argue, Sec. Neri has already said everything he is willing to reveal and will only invoke executive privilege if pressed by the Senators. What do you think?

a. The hearings should continue to ferret out the truth and determine culpability of all officials involved, possibly including GMA. The Senate should challenge executive privilege at the Supreme Court if Neri invokes it. As for Abalos, a criminal case should be filed against him.

b. The Senate should continue the hearings. However, if there are no new witnesses or information, then they should stop and instead legislate laws as they were mandated to do.

c. Nothing good ever comes out of Senate investigations. Senators, especially those with presidential ambitions, are just showboating.

d. The hearings should stop. People are not interested in scandals. They're more interested in improving the economy. This will give them jobs and food on the table. Senators should instead work double time to pass bills that will improve the economy.

5. PERC – a risk consultancy firm, released its report on corruption among Asian countries. The Philippines garnered the highest index (8.6 on a scale of 10) making it the most corrupt country in Asia. Opposition groups cited this in their information campaign. Malacanang countered with a media blitz saying that PERC never said the Philippines is the most corrupt, and that this was merely the perception of company executives surveyed. It accused the opposition groups of distorting the survey for their own political ends, and that this has set back the economic gains that the administration has worked so hard to achieve. What's your take?

a. The fact remains that the Philippines is now the most corrupt Asian country. All corruption reports, including those prepared by Transparency International, are based on perceptions. Rather than worry about tainting our image, we should instead work on reducing the incidents and magnitude of corruption. And it should start from the very top.

b. Even if it's true that we have become the most corrupt, harping on it does not help much. We should instead work together to improve the situation.

c. What's all the fuzz? We don't need a foreign agency to tell us what we already know.

d. Let's not nitpick on the issue of corruption. Other countries as corrupt, if not more, than us are prosperous. Let's focus on improving our economy.

How to score: add 20 points for every (a) answer, 15 points for every (b) answer, 10 points for every (c) answer and 5 points for every (d) answer.

Interpreting your total score:

THE IDEALIST. If you scored a perfect 100, you're a hopeless idealist. To a lot of people, you're a self-righteous moralist, out of touch with realpolitik, and uncompromising. While it seems you're on the extreme, you may just be the right person to countervail what the CBCP now sees as the moral bankruptcy of our leaders. You must be fuming mad by now with the unraveling of one scandal after the other.

THE CONSCIENTIOUS. If you scored between 90 to 95, you have a fairly decent sense of right and wrong, perhaps tempered only by a healthy fear of instability. With the brazenness and impunity you see today, you are probably ready to act on the dictates of your conscience.

THE PRAGMATIC. If you scored between 65 to 85, you consider yourself a well-balanced person, looking at the big picture rather than just the moral dimension of an issue. When scandals first hounded GMA, you're probably one of those who kept asking, "But who will replace her?" With the magnitude of bribery you now see, you're probably close to saying, "I don't care who replaces her. Just get her out!"

THE CYNIC. If you scored between 30 to 60, you are probably snickering and saying, "I told you so." You are unfazed by current events, and are determined to continue doing what you do best – nothing. Well… you deserve the country we have today.

THE RUTHLESS If you scored between 20 to 25, you have a single-minded tunnel vision towards economic prosperity. Your philosophy in life could be – "Screw morality. You can't eat morality. It's the economy, stupid!" To you, the end justifies the means. I can only say one thing. God unleashed His wrath when His people sacrificed at the altar of Baal. I believe God has unleashed His wrath upon our nation because people like you have likewise been idolatrous – worshipping at the altar of economic progress.

What can we do?

For starters, you can forward this email to others. Don't forget to mention your score and how you feel about the current issues.

Secondly, you can join us. The Black and White Movement is organizing a forum this coming Monday morning, October 22 entitled, "Civil Society Consultation – Ano ang Tamang Tugon kung Ginagago na ang Mamayan?" Email me (enteng@healourland.ph) if you want to come so I can send you an invitation. Seats are limited so I can only send out so many invitations. Or if you can't attend, then just email me your suggested action which I can present at the forum.

Of course, if you're the cynic or ruthless type, there's always the "delete" key to deal with this distraction. You might as well throw your TV set out and cancel your newspaper subscription. These issues will simply not go away for days and weeks to come.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Second semester has not yet come and I am overwhelmed by the request to teach (again!) Basic Photography (MC310) and Film Theory/ Film Appreciation (Hum3). Almost all of the philosophy faculty will join the Saturday afternoon class on photography, begins at 1:30PM.

I am still contemplating where to place the Film class, it may be Thursday evening or Monday/Friday evening (3 hours straight!). I opted to have once-a-week class for Film Theory/ Appreciation so that I could finish a full feature film in one session with discussion and lecture. I have a new collection of foreign films, aside from the usual films I have used since 2001.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

After some deliberations of University administrators this morning due to the coming local elections, the following will be the new schedule:

October 200719 - Submission of Final Grades (for faculty)25 - Early Registration for all regular students (with no academic deficiencies)/ Registration for 3rd/4th Year BSN26 - Early Registration for all regular students (with no academic deficiencies)/ Registration for 3rd/4th Year BSN27 - Early Registration for all regular students (with no academic deficiencies)/ Registration for 3rd/4th Year BSN29 - Barangay Elections (not yet declared as holiday)30 - 1st/2nd Year Registration31 - 1st/2nd Year Registration